The Night That Passed
by TamTam613
Summary: What were Lisbon's actions immediately following Jane being escorted off the plane? Takes place during "Blue Bird" episode 6x22 between the time when Jane was taken off the plane and their reuniting the next morning in the airport holding cell.
1. Lisbon

She sat on the plane in seat 12B overwhelmed while dabbing her tears and feeling a bit shell-shocked. She had always dreamt of hearing those words out of Patrick Jane's mouth, but was not expecting it at this time and she had safely given up hope that it would ever happen. This was the biggest shock from Patrick Jane that she had ever experienced, and that was saying a lot. This made everything else look like child's play. Yes, she had her fair share of Jane's antics and surprises for years and years and one would think that nothing at this point should come as a surprise to her. Just when she thought she had been put through every scenario possible with this man and having been a first-hand witness to his shenanigans, THIS was by far his most scandalous of all. This could not be topped and after all of her years with him, she was at a loss on how to handle it.

The plane was significantly delayed from the commotion stirred up by Jane. In those moments that Lisbon had on the plane, she sat still in her seat without any noticeable budge to move. Her initial tears had stopped, but her heart was still racing. She quickly played out the next scenario in her head. The plane would take off and she would land in DC. Her thoughts stopped there. She couldn't imagine herself physically being able to get herself off the plane once arriving in DC. Where would she be going? Walking into Pike's open arms? Then what? He driving her to his apartment? She unpacking?...Showering?... Going out to dinner? Then the rest of her journey at adjusting to her new life in DC would begin. The very thought of it made her nauseous. That could not happen. Until now she had enough resolve in her to do her best at building a new life for herself there, as difficult as it may be. However, with the latest developments that would now be virtually impossible for her to play out.

She was now left with one option. To get off this plane. She did not know where her next steps would take her, but she knew she needed to get off this plane. She was going to take it step by step and let her heart lead for once in her life.

She quietly gathered her belongings and made her way to the front of the plane. The door was still open as the TSA agents and flight attendants were just about finishing up settling the matter. Lisbon flashed her badge at the TSA guard and muttered some quick FBI-related jargon that gave her the allowance to get off the plane.

The relief Lisbon felt was immediate. The decision to get off the plane was not a simple one, but she knew without a doubt that it was the only thing to do. Going to DC was the farthest thing from her mind right now, and so was Jane actually. Her mind was blank and she did not make any effort to fill it with any thoughts of any kind.

Right now, all she needed was to sit down and regroup without any distractions. She settled herself into a seat in the terminal and just watched as the flurry of people whizzed about. She wasn't watching anyone in particular, but just watching the bustle moving around her seemed to calm her mind. She felt surprisingly relaxed. It was almost trance-like. She sat there for what must have been an hour until her thoughts started to become coherent.

She was still in the same city as Jane. He was most likely still somewhere in this airport. She was not about to go looking for him though. She still hadn't figured out what it was that she was going to do, but she knew that she would be seeing Patrick Jane once again. All of those hurtful words that were exchanged between them at The Blue Bird Hotel were slowly evaporating as if they had never been said. She could not find it in her heart to carry resentment towards that man. It was second nature for her. The question now was, what to make of his spectacle on the plane? He did say some powerful words and they had opened up her heart again that she had tried so hard to keep closed from him. Besides for knowing she would see Jane again later that night or the next day, she also knew that things would be different. She had come to admit to herself the reality that she actually did feel the same way, and that it was not "too late" as she had told him on the plane. It was just in time. After some quick thinking, she realized she had no choice but to text Abbott. She had gotten off the plane and was now stranded in the middle of an airport in the Conch Republic. She stayed for a reason and still needed to keep tabs on the situation. When she eventually did decide to make her next move, she would not know where to find anyone. So, to be on the safe side she texted him: "I am still in Miami. Where are you?"

It was around 3AM, but Abbott immediately answered back. "Fischer and I are still at the hotel. I will be going to the airport to bail Jane out at 7AM. He is being detained by TSA." Wisely, he did not comment on Lisbon's change of plans.

Lisbon felt at ease knowing that she still had time to sit with herself. The mere thought of knowing that Jane was in the same building as she was sent a tingly chill coursing through her body. She texted Abbott back, "Ok, can you keep me posted?" To which he replied, "Of course!"

Since the initial adrenaline had worn off, Lisbon's eyelids were beginning to grow heavy. She tried to fight her exhaustion and if she was hungry she didn't feel it either, but the fact was, she both hungry _and_ exhausted. She finally let her body take over. She let her eyes close while promising herself she would get a cup of coffee afterwards. She dozed off reclining in a chair in a corner of the quiet airport lounge. When she woke, she felt surprisingly refreshed. She bought herself a cup of coffee and a muffin, then sat back down and relished in the comfort of the savory aroma of the brewed coffee. That was all she needed right now to fuel her energy. There were still no thoughts running through her mind and she felt very much at peace with that. She just let herself be and did not focus on any decisions that needed to be made. She was just going to let things happen. Let plant seeds grow. She looked at her phone and it was a little after 6 o'clock. A shower would have been nice, as well as a bed to have slept in the night before, but whatever point she was at now was where she needed to be. If the lack of bed and shower was what was needed to put her in this frame of mind then it served its purpose!

She was filled with clarity now, and she did not have an ounce of hesitation when she stood up and set out to find the TSA holding cell. She just let the truth surface on its own. Her actions followed her heart's direction. There was no angst or heaviness weighing her down. It had all just slipped away. The mask was uncovered and now it all made sense. Making her way through the terminal, she couldn't help but murmur prayers of thanks to G-d for letting this finally happen. She knew she wasn't dreaming. This was real. All that was left to do was affirm her position on the matter with the other member involved in this newly forming union.

She was in no rush to find the cell, and she took her time even though she felt the anticipation building up at the thought of seeing Jane's face. She truly swore off ever seeing him again when she boarded that plane headed for DC. She was filled with so much anger when she saw him then, but those feelings had vanished so quickly that she even surprised herself.

Seeing him now would mean a fresh new start. There was nothing to think about. The night that had just passed Lisbon by, had set her mind free. There was absolutely nothing she needed to decide, nothing to mull over, nothing to stress about. It was just a night that needed to pass before the new day began.


	2. Jane

Jane was led to the holding cell in usual Jane fashion. He was used to this sort of thing. If he had to count how many times in his life he had been whisked away by authorities, he would lose track. He never put up a fight. Not once. He was always taken with his pride intact. He never regretted the actions that had led him to being in that position. Whether it was killing the man who murdered his family and being held up in an FBI detention suite, arrested for putting an illegal tap into a CBI agent's office to stay current on the developments of a case he cared most about, or being forced off of a plane for confessing his undying love to the woman he longed for- he never felt one bit of remorse.

This time was no different. He conducted himself in the way that he knew how. He let nothing stand in the way of what he needed to do. He was a man of action when his mission was greater than himself. He would overcome any obstacle and at any price. He was not a man who could settle on status quo when more desperate things were at stake. The results, in his opinion, always outweighed the means.

His only regret in this case was letting the situation between him and Lisbon get this far out of hand. He felt lucky though that he still had those last few moments to let her know how he felt. Whether she reciprocated his feelings or not, he felt relief in knowing that he made it in time to at least let her know how he felt about her. What happened next was now beyond his control. Or was it?

He had plenty of time now to think while being detained overnight in the TSA cell. He felt unusually calm, though, and his mind was oddly at peace. After his outburst on the plane his heart was racing and it took a few moments for his breathing to regulate. After the adrenaline had worn off, he was able to sit in the holding cell with a clear mind. He sat there all night letting the hours pass without much of a thought. There was nothing to think about at this point. He had fabricated a devious scheme at the hotel to try to keep Lisbon from leaving- which backfired tremendously. His confession on the plane was another ordeal that did not seem to go over that well either. He was not giving up. He just needed to sit there and let himself be. His mind, which usually worked at a rapid pace, let itself unwind and settle. He was not planning an escape from this cell. He knew his limitations, but also knew that at this point he had nowhere to run to. Lisbon was probably just about landing in DC and he did not let himself think about what she would be doing next. He learnt over the past few months, with the tension between them, that wallowing in self-pity would get him nowhere. He pushed all negative thoughts out of his head once again and sat there peacefully without any thought as to how this night would end and what the next day would bring.

He felt himself going through an assortment of internal changes as the night progressed. The friction felt between him and Lisbon over the past few weeks was now softening within him. His confidence began to grow as he was coming to the awareness even more now that there were things in life that were beyond his control. He let himself surrender to that thought and it was a humbling one. He let down his barriers that evening and it felt good. He let them down in front on Teresa Lisbon, which was his biggest breakthrough ever. He was beginning to feel like a new man. Although he was rejected by the woman he loved more than he even realized, he didn't let the pain bring him down. He liked this liberating feeling of being able to admit to his limitations when it came to controlling or manipulating another person. He was glad it was Lisbon who taught him this lesson. He loved her so much. He loved her more than ever now. And if he knew her well enough, he would keep that glimmer of hope inside of him that she would come back to him as she always did. He did recall seeing a few tears fall from her eyes, which gave him a bit of comfort. He let that hope stay alive inside of him and did not cast it away from his thoughts.

He would not be an idiot and let her go again. This was too darn important to him. However, the ball was clearly in her court now and it was too premature on his part to make another move right now. It may scare her off completely. He just needed to wait and see what morning would bring. He could not think too far ahead yet. He did not want to think at all.

He received a message from the TSA guard that Agent Abbott was on his way to bail him out. It was now 6:00 AM and Abbott would be there in a half an hour. Abbott's plane was due to leave at 10.

After all of the paperwork was squared away it was already 7:00. Abbott left the cell to confirm Jane's flight status with the airline reservations desk and told the TSA agent that he should escort Jane to the gate where they would meet and board the flight to return to Austin.

On his way out, Abbott bumped into Lisbon who was making her way into the TSA holding area. Abbott told the agent on guard that he should allow her to enter the cell where Jane was being held.

After Abbott left the cell, Jane did not budge from his chair. Although he was now a free man, he just sat there with a mind clear from anything. He was in no rush to go anywhere. He would let his next steps lead them him to wherever they may lead. He would be honest with himself and let his heart lead and not his calculating head. He was past that stage now. So he just sat there. He was not feeling broken. He was not feeling anything. He had nothing to lose at this point since he had now lost it all. He was not ready to think about that though. He knew his determination would kick in at some point, but he needed to handle the situation delicately this time which was something he was not accustomed to doing. He knew himself well enough that if he let himself sink into depression, the despair would prevent him from moving forward and acting in a wise fashion- like a decent human being- so he would not mess up again.

Just then, he heard the creaking of the door. He did not turn to look since he frankly did not care about anything or anyone is his surroundings at this point. He was focused internally and was letting himself just be.

When his line of vision came in contact with the site in front of him his attention was drawn. It was Lisbon.


End file.
